{"id":387868,"date":"2026-01-24T11:32:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T11:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/387868\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T11:32:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T11:32:12","slug":"robbie-williams-ends-tie-with-the-beatles-for-most-u-k-no-1-albums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/387868\/","title":{"rendered":"Robbie Williams Ends Tie With The Beatles for Most U.K. No. 1 Albums"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tRobbie Williams<\/a> has overtaken The Beatles<\/a> on the all-time leaderboard for most U.K. No. 1 albums with his 16th chart-topper, Britpop, which reached the summit on the Jan. 23-dated chart.<\/p>\n

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\n\tWilliams and the Fab Four have been tied with 15 No. 1s each on the Official Albums Chart<\/a> since January 2025 when the former\u2019s Better Man soundtrack LP hit the top spot. Now Britpop, Williams\u2019 13th studio album, has scored him a 16th No. 1 to put him clear at the summit of the all-time rankings.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Beatles had held the record since the release of 1967\u2019s Sgt. Pepper\u2019s Lonely Hearts Club Band, overtaking then-leader Elvis Presley with the band\u2019s eighth No. 1 album. All but one of the group\u2019s studio albums (1967\u2019s Magical Mystery Tour) hit the top spot. Various compilations and live albums after The Beatles\u2019 1970 split also earned the No. 1 placing. The band\u2019s most recent No. 1 came in 2000 with the compilation 1, which collected The Beatles\u2019 27 chart-topping singles in the U.K. and U.S.<\/p>\n

\n\tBritpop has been subject to several release date changes. The LP was first slated to be released in October 2025, but was moved<\/a> to February 2026 after Taylor Swift<\/a> announced that The Life of a Showgirl would arrive the same month. The former Take That member brought the release forward to Jan. 16 in a surprise<\/a> move.<\/p>\n

\n\tWilliams has been unabashed in his pursuit of the all-time record. At a show<\/a> in London in October, he admitted that the album delay was due to Swift\u2019s impending release. \u201cWe\u2019re all pretending [the scheduling change] is not about Taylor Swift, but it f\u2013king is, you can\u2019t compete with that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI was worried about making you [fans] all wait for the record. But then I was like, \u2018F\u2013k it\u2019. I\u2019m sorry, but I\u2019m f\u2013king being selfish,\u201d he told the crowd. \u201cHow many times in your life do you get to have the most No. 1 albums the U.K. has f\u2013king ever had?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHis first U.K. No. 1 as a solo act came in 1997 with Life Thru a Lens, following his departure from boyband Take That two years earlier. All but one of his solo LPs (Reality Killed the Radio Star, 2008) has hit the top spot in the U.K., alongside a number of compilations, soundtracks and even a festive-themed LP in 2019.<\/p>\n

\n\tWilliams will likely face pressure in the coming years to retain the record. The Rolling Stones<\/a>, who teased<\/a> work on a new album, sit in joint-third place with 14 No. 1s across their career. His biggest threat is likely to come from Swift, who has already stacked up 14 chart-toppers in as many years. Her first came in 2012 with fourth album Red.<\/p>\n

\n\tOlivia Dean finishes at the No. 2 spot with The Art of Loving, while Madison Beer\u2019s Locket closes at No. 3, a new career high. Nathan Evans and Saint PHNX land at No. 4 with Angels\u2019 Share and Fleetwood Mac\u2019s 50 Years: Don\u2019t Stop falls one spot to No. 5.<\/p>\n

\n\tNottingham duo Sleaford Mods scores a fifth top 10 LP with The Demise of Planet X in at No. 6, while A$AP Rocky\u2019s Don\u2019t Be Dumb debuts at No. 8 Following his debut\u00a0BRIT Awards nomination in the\u00a0breakthrough artist of the year category, Scouse rapper\u00a0EsDeeKid\u2019s debut LP\u00a0Rebel\u00a0rises five positions to No. 11.<\/p>\n


\"Billboard
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